Police say Quincy home was used as illegal nightclub

The police report says when the officer made his presence known in order to break up the party, several attendees said they wanted their money back if the party was being shut down. The officer called in backup to break up the gathering, though most left without incident.

By Jack Encarnacao

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Jack Encarnacao

Posted Nov. 23, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Nov 23, 2012 at 11:07 PM

By Jack Encarnacao

Posted Nov. 23, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Nov 23, 2012 at 11:07 PM

QUINCY

» Social News

Police say it had all the trappings of a bumping nightclub: a $5 cover charge, 150 people dancing under lights to a DJ, and alcohol in plain view.

The problem was, the party was in the basement of a modest Cape in a residential neighborhood.

Police charged Debra Sarjeant, who they list as the owner of 98 Gilbert St. in South Quincy, with keeping a noisy and disorderly house after breaking up the party at about 1 a.m. last Sunday.

City councilor Brian Palmucci said Sarjeant owns an entertainment company called “Dis-n-Dat” that the party was intended to promote.

“I think it’s important to send a message that operating an illegal nightclub out of your home is absolutely unacceptable,” Palmucci said.

Sarjeant could not be reached for comment. According to a police report, she denied charging a cover for the party, which she said was a holiday party.

“She stated that the 50 she invited must have invited people themselves, swelling the numbers to approximately 150 to 200 people in and around the property,” the police report says.

The report says a responding officer noticed a lighted rear doorway at the home with a chair and light close by, a setup indicative of what a bouncer would use to check IDs.

The police report says when the officer made his presence known in order to break up the party, several attendees said they wanted their money back if the party was being shut down. The officer called in backup to break up the gathering, though most left without incident.

A Facebook page for Dis-n-Dat displays posters for reggae music events across New England. On Oct. 31, someone posted to the page that a party was happening that night in Quincy, and asked people to send a private message for more details.

Police Chief Paul Keenan said parties in this vein pop up from time to time, but typically in abandoned or vacant buildings, not homes.

“We’re aware of the situation” Keenan said. “We are on top of it.”

A similar situation unfolded last month in Milton, where two homeowners were charged with selling alcohol without a license at an event advertised as the “Make It Nasty Mansion Pool Party.” The Labor Day weekend bash drew more than 1,000 people to the million-dollar home on Mark Lane.

The police report on the Quincy incident says parties have happened at the address in the past, causing a neighbor to come to the police station to complain about loud noise.

Fire chief Joseph Barron said such gatherings raise serious safety issues because homes do not have appropriate fire protection and other safeguards for crowds of people.